


Six

by Arwen_Evenstar



Series: The paths we choose [6]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Movie: Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Slow Burn Rey/Kylo Ren
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-02
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2019-04-17 14:58:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14191488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arwen_Evenstar/pseuds/Arwen_Evenstar
Summary: Sixth drabble for me, that is no drabble at all. It turned into a full fledge chapter, with a direction. I am very gratefull to my penpals at Reylo Fic Recs FB page, which prompted me to start writing again, leading me to create this story out of a fun weekly activity of writing Reylo fic inspired by gifs of invited artists!Last week's gif was created by Sparkledoodles. PLease visit the artist page here: http://sparklepoodles.tumblr.com The gif had a "stalker" vibe to it, but it led me to imagine a scene of two lovers crossing eyes in a large hall, and that pretty much led to to the story that I will now try to see it through.So, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please leave comments, they are greatly appreciated and if you have suggestions on how the story and/or the characters can develop please feel free to share! Thank you!





	Six

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Reylo Fic Recs](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Reylo+Fic+Recs).



> Sixth drabble for me, that is no drabble at all. It turned into a full fledge chapter, with a direction. I am very gratefull to my penpals at Reylo Fic Recs FB page, which prompted me to start writing again, leading me to create this story out of a fun weekly activity of writing Reylo fic inspired by gifs of invited artists! 
> 
> Last week's gif was created by Sparkledoodles. PLease visit the artist page here: http://sparklepoodles.tumblr.com The gif had a "stalker" vibe to it, but it led me to imagine a scene of two lovers crossing eyes in a large hall, and that pretty much led to to the story that I will now try to see it through.
> 
> So, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please leave comments, they are greatly appreciated and if you have suggestions on how the story and/or the characters can develop please feel free to share! Thank you!

Rey could feel all eyes on her when she entered the canteen. She went for the tray and noticed it was wet - yet again. She sighed and tried to rinse it with her sleeve.

“I hate wet trays”, she mumbled. The issue was all that moist - a waste, in her mind. You could take a girl out of Jakku.... Frustrated, she walked towards the line. Someone skidded by her and went in front. She looked at the young man, a bit annoyed.

“Excuse me, I was here first?”

The man, a tadar technician by the way he was dressed, looked at her over his shoulder for a few moments. Those glasses were so ugly, Rey thought. He just shrugged and turned around, leaving Rey even more annoyed. She looked at his tray, dangling from his fingers and she just _did it_. Sure enough the tray took flight, landing with a clatter a good six feet away from them, causing everyone to turn and look at the embarrassed, awkward blond man. Rey felt avenged - and the little dark pool inside of her rejoiced.

“Very funny” Finn said, materializing out of thin air, behind her. Rey lowered her eyes and tried to contain the snigger that crept to her lips. Finn kept his look serious.

“What? Oh, come on!”

Finn sighed and went for her arm, pulling close “It was freaking hilarious ok? I nearly pissed my pants, but that does not mean it was ok for you to do it. Not when…” he stopped talking and just pursed his lips, shaking his head. “Comme on, you will eat latter. The penne is not that good anyway.”

Rey thought about protesting, but still she followed. Finn went towards the maintenance bay were Rose was surveying the remanufacture of some engine parts, teaching new volunteers on the art of good welding. She raised her visor and smiled when seeing Finn enter, only for it to fade when she saw Rey following on his heels.

“Continue, you are doing well” - she said to the closest of her students.

Rey looked at the operating table with interest. The scavenger in her wanted to go over those parts, dismantle them, brush and chrome and assemble the components. She thought how wonderful it was _to fix_ something, like what she had done with her lightsaber. That was a considerable effort, but with a little ingenuity, Leia’s motivation and 3CPO to translate jedi texts, the saber was revived, albeit being dark blue. Still, it had already passed an important test. Rey blinked, remembering that last encounter.

“Rose, you know that Rey can help with this”

At the mentioning of her name, Rey snapped back into the conversation.

“I don’t know Finn. You know that Poe will suspect something is up”

“Not if Rey plays her cards right. If we explain exactly what we want. Connix already agreed to help - you know her, she wouldn’t agree if we didn’t have a shot.”

“What exactly are we talking about? And why is everyone on pins and needles around me?”

Finn and Rose looked at her at the same time, first with incredulity and then with embarrassment. Rey smiled at their faces.

“What?”

“One of the cadets heard your conversation with Poe the other day, how you...did that mind trick on him? Well…”

Rey suddenly understood the whispers at her passing. No one coming to see her or call her from hours on end. Even her closest friends. She looked at Finn and Rose and they knew the thought crossing her mind and they couldn’t be more ashamed.

“I know, we’ve made things worse by not coming to you. But please understand, we were trying to devise a plan, you were always working out… We thought it best to let you be.”

“Well, that hurt ok? You could have asked, I would have explained” Would she? Would she explain everything? The Force connections? The fights? The pull, the heat, the dark? Rey lowered her eyes and shook her head. After a couple of moments, she smiled.

“Nevermind. It was a fluke, it just happened. I was angry, he was angry”

“A lover's quarrel, perhaps?” said Rose, a bit took quickly. Finn looked at Rey, gauging her reaction, much to Rose’s dismay.

“What? Me and Poe? He is the General, I couldn’t, I mean I never considered...He’s handsome, for a man, don’t get me wrong, but he’s no..” she stopped talking, suddenly, looking at her friends. “Not a chance.”

“That’s a shame” Finn remarked. Rose looked at him and suddenly let out a breath that seemed more like relief rather than a sigh. Rey noticed it and smiled.

“Why is that?”

“Well, because if you fancied him, it would be easier for you to convince him to bring you to Canto Bight”.

Rey frowned, looking puzzled. “And why do you want me to go to Canto Bight?”

Rose reached for her pocket and took out a small oval shaped holo, pressing its middle. A blue tinged hologram of a desert. Rey couldn’t understand what she was looking at, until two figures materialized: she immediatly recognized Luke and Kylo - it was a reenactment of their battle on Crait. There was a narrator, someone was retelling the story of it, Luke’s courage and sacrifice, and their escape. How a new Jedi had emerged and saved the day. And then she saw her own figure, standing by the cavern, all the rocks obeying her command and floating around her. She looked so...so…

“Strong” Rey whispered.

“Yes, yes” Rose smiled. “This is what’s going to make us strong, not weapons. Rey” Rose looked at her, placing her hand on her shoulder and giving it a squeeze “We need for you to bring holos to the children that handle the Fathiers at Canto Bight.”

Rey drew back a little, pondering the task presented to her. Go to Canto Bight? Convince Poe, after she had accused him of being no worse than the First Order? She looked at Rose in disbelief.

“Listen to me! This will work. They need kindling and this is it” she said, wrapping her hand around the holo, like it was a treasure.“Remember what Leia said? We have what we need. She was talking about hope, Rey. That is what we have and that is what they need back at the mines.”

Finn continued “We found out from a couple of volunteers that came in a while back that the children that work at the stables rotate every couple of months.The patrons make them go back to the mines to tell everyone about Canto Bight. Conditions are so hard at their planets that when they talk about the race tracks...well...there is no shortage of volunteers.”

Seeing Rey’s frown slowly disappear, Finn pressed on. “The holos carry a hidden message. The workers at the processing plants will know, Rose made sure of it. Lets just say that the First Order will get more than what they are barganing for.”

“Please, we just need for you to give them the holos. Here,” Rose fumbled in her vest pockets and placed something on Rey’s hand “Use this. Its the Resistance ring, they have seen it before. They will trust you.”

Rey took the ring and twisted it, revealing the resistance symbol inside, shining bright red. She paused a bit, considering. She understood what Rose and Finn were going for. Had she been on the receiving end of that holo while on Jakku it would certainly inspire her. It was not different of the stories she heard from pilots and pirates passing through Unkar Plutt’s emporium. Those stories had made her stronger, pushed her to fight and resist. A visual companion would certainly make it more effective.

“But why me? Why not Connix?”

Finn and Rose exchange demured looks. “Because...we though the mind bending thing could come in handy? Last time it would have helped us a lot, believe me! If you get caught, you can always Force your way out.”

“We want those kids to ratlle the cage. They will, I know it.” Rose said, her voice certain and clear. No hint of weakness.

She had to tread her path. It seems that it was leading to Canto Bight.Rey opened her palm “Give me the holos. Tell me exactly where I can find the stables.”

Finn smiled “Thank you Rey, for doing this. Thank you.”

“This only leaves one problem.”

“What?”

Rey sighed. “Poe.”

______

Rey hadn’t seen Poe since the mishap with the Force. After her close encounter with Kylo, when she had almost slipped into the Dark, she knew she needed practice. It was a matter of safety: shielding herself from the Bond also meant shutting out any unwanted probing and training her own control of the Force.

A week, two went by in this regime: after breaking fast she would focus on her meditation, raising the wall - as she called it - piece by piece, getting faster everyday, adding a layer of difficulty each day. Raising a vase here, a book there, a headstand, training.

The Bond was faint like a vibration that you feel in the air. Sometimes, it would rumble, but Rey would immediately focus on the wall, waiting for it to pass, which eventually would.

And, sometimes, she could see it. In a small corner of her conscience. The Dark. Trembling, waiting. It would stir with the vibration, but she kept it controlled, subdued.

When she wasn’t Force tapping she was working with the saber and with her staff. With no one to spar with, she just used what she could: a bot or her imagination. She avoided picturing him, afraid it would cause a breach on her defences, so she pictured the common thugs that roamed Jakku instead.

She stood by Poe’s quarters, and thought on what to say for the eleventh time. “Ok, Ok, lets do this”. She shook her shoulders to release some of the tension and pressed the button.

“Yes?”

The door opened and Rey stepped in. The room was a standard quarter, but it had an annex room that served as an office. Rey noticed the clothes all ruffled over the bed and the scent - his - in the air. Rey felt something twitch inside her. She felt the Dark stirr in its corner, making her thighs clench and she cursed under her breath.

Poe came into the room, hair dripping wet. He was wearing his lounge (?) clothes loose, and his feet were bare. Rey couldn’t help but smirk at the scene: she had never seen him in such a relaxed way.

“Ah. It’s you. What is it Rey?”

The tone of his voice made her assume the formal position: hands behind her back, clasped. Feet parted.

“General, I would like to make a request, if possible.”

Poe let out a laugh and shook his head. “Ok. Let’s hear it.”

“I would like to be included in the mission to Canto Bight.”

Poe looked at her, his face scrunched in puzzlement. And then he snorted.

“No.”

Rey winced at his dismissal and dropped the facade. She was never good at concealing her feelings.

“Gener….Poe. I am sorry.” At that moment she was saying sorry for all the concealment, all the evasion, besides the mind bending accident. Poe stepped closer to her, until he was a mere breath away. He looked straight into her eyes, again with that intensity that made her uncomfortable, but she never dropped her gaze. They held like this for a while until Poe blinked, satisfied - she hadn’t sliped this time.

“So you are training. Are you controlling it better now?” his tone was soft, with a sinuous tinge that made her stomach clench, again.

“Yes. After what happened, I knew I needed to have a better control at it, so yes I have been practicing.”

“I heard that people knew about what happened...I am sorry about that.”

“It’s ok. I am used to be alone.”

His eyes slitted a bit, catlike, and he looked to her side a couple of times, contemplating. He nodded and walked away, towards the bed where he started taking off his tunic revealing a well toned upper body. Rey jumped at this, embarrassed, and turned around.

“Oh, I...I..am sorry, you were in the middle off…”

“Nevermind that, we are pilots, are we not? I’ve shared quarters with many men and women - in war, those things are frivolous” he continued, replacing his tunic with a warmer shirt and switching his pants for his overalls. When Rey heard the zipper, she risked turning again. He was grinning.

“Look at you, you are red all over!”

Rey smiled. That was the playful Poe she knew. He went over to the table and signaled her to join him. The screen was flashing with information on ships, parts, ammunition - no doubt the order that was being prepared to be negotiated with the Canto Bight’s arms dealers.

“Why should I take you with me Rey? You were clearly against it.”

“Like I said, I’ve been practicing. I think it could be useful in case...well...consider it a measure of safety against any First Order sympathizers”

“Rey, those people are only interested in money and that is it”

“Still, would you risk arranging an order only to have it been set up as a trap?”

Poe looked at her, mulling it over. “You would draw too much attention to yourself. You would have to go as my consort.”

Rey opened her mouth and shook her head, not sure if she had heard correctly. “I...I’m sorry, your what?”

He moved closer, that scent of his drawing her near. “My consort” he said, again, with a raspier voice and an hint of a smile in the corner of his mouth. “And you know what that means…”

Her eyes were wide open. Her heart jump erratically. Immediately she felt the vibration singing louder, the Dark struggling to break free from its binds - Kylo was banging at the door.

“You will have to wear a dress!” he said, winking.

________

Hux was annoyed. And to think the day started so well. First, the message that came in from Canto Bight - Sarco Plank’s men had worked their magic afterall and were able to secure the necessary parts to finish the work on the dreadnoughts. This ment additional credits for his personal account.

He knew he was on dangerous ground. He was at ease with Supreme Leader Snoke - he knew it, he was sure, but Snoke couldn’t care less as long as he did his bidding. Supreme Leader Kylo Ren, however, was an whole different game; Kylo had a profound hatred for any corrupt dealings, and showed it often in meetings with high command. He could _sense_ it at every system report: an altered heart beat, a cold sweat, a stutter - it was enough to set him off.

But he had always been careful about his dealings. After all, who could blame him? He heard the stories. Dark Lords could rule with a iron fist but power could disappear, unexpectedly. Armitage loved power, loved the hunt and the execution. But he wasn’t stupid. He would be prepared - if _anything_ happened. But that was Plan B. Plan A was near, he knew it: it came very close in that throne room. He would have his chance.

It was a complete surprise when the Supreme Leader showed up at his ship, when he was getting ready to depart.

“Supreme Leader? Anything amiss?”

Kylo turned his head ever so slightly in his direction. He was wearing his mask, so it was impossible to predict what he would do next. Hux remained impassive; years of training with Snoke had taught him well.

He couldn’t erase the contempt from his mouth every time he looked at Ren: he was in that position because of his privileged bloodline, nothing else. While he, Armitage Hux, had clawed his way up to the top, everyday.

“General Hux, I will be accompany you to Canto Bight.”

Armitage raised his eyebrows and felt an headache coming in. “It is an honor, Supreme Leader. And quite an occasion: it's the Race Finals, everyone will be there.”

Kylo moved to the front of the ship. Hux continued.

“Off course, we will have no time for such shallow festivities. We have secured the supplies needed for our dreadnaughts, soon we will be fully operational and then some.”

“I trust the deal is practically closed?”

Hux lowered his head. What was he implying? “Yes, Supreme Leader.”

“Good. Finally enough firepower to handle those few Rebels that seem to be so elusive to you.”

Hux clenched his fists. He was taunting him.

“I believe that soon we will have them Supreme Lider. After all, with their Prime General dead, it is just a matter of time.”

Kylo turned around and the shift in the air was almost palpable at him mentioning General Organa’s death. Hux looked to the captains, at the helm. He prepared for the choke, swallowing hard and raising his chin.

“Yes. Time that we are wasting when we should be moving.”

______________

The lights, sounds and feels of Canto Bight were overwhelming to Rey. She took it all in, in awe. She had never seen so much beauty, so much opulence joined in one place. Finn was right: that place was intoxicating.

Poe had arranged for a frigate ship, complete with crew among the volunteers at the base. The codes worked, granting them passage. They had arranged for a room at the main casino, close to the race tracks. The Finals were the perfect coverage for their dealings, albeit risking the presence of some First Order officials gambling. And that is why they had to go undercover, Poe said, passing as a high roller and his consort.

Rey heard laughing coming from below her balcony and ventured a look. Sure enough, there were people cheering, glasses in hand, observing the races in the track in front. Rey surveyed the niches, where the Fathiers were being prepared - sure enough, there were children roaming around, assisting the keepers. She was reaching for the holos in her pocket when there was a knock at the door.

“It's your _maid_ ” Rey recognized Connix and opened the door. The lieutenant entered the room, followed by two droids carrying cases. “Please, here” she pointed. The droids deposited the cases and left, closing the door behind them.

“Now, let's get you dressed. Do you have the holos?” Rey took them from her pocket. “How many? Five? Ok, that should be enough.” said Connix, opening the cases. Rey looked into the compartments, where all sorts of fabrics and gemstones shimmered in colours that reminded her of those desert twilight skies. Connix noticed Rey staring and looked at the dresses.”These were Queen Amidala’s dresses - Leia’s mother. They were given to her when the war ended, upon her return to Naboo. Leia treasured these.”

Connix started to remove them, one by one. Each more beautiful than the other: dark blue, shimmering white, jet black. Rey’s eyes were immediately drawn to that dark velvet, and she realized that she wanted very much to feel the fabric against her skin. As Connix removed it, Rey blinked and practicality kicked in.

“How am I going to move in these? I have to get to the stables”

“Not to worry, we got it figured out. It’s costume for the high rollers to have the Fathiers they gamble on blessed by consorts, you know, for luck. Its like blowing a kiss on the dice before rolling them. You just have to _persuade the dealer_ …”Connix paused for the briefest moment, looking at Rey. She got the hint.”...that you should bless his Fathier as part of the deal.”

Rey pursed her lips and nodded. Then, she looked down at the dress that Connix had in her hand at the moment. It was a lovely shade of grey and the sleeves sparkled with embroidered leafs in silver. Rey had never seen such intricate detail in a piece of fabric. All she had ever owned were rough cuts of wool that she was able to easily mend and repair, with bits and pieces, and her armbands, from a lighter, albeit resistant, fabric. Rey reached for it, working it between her fingers - it felt like water sliding, smooth and cold.

“This is it”, she said. Connix smiled “A nice choice. It will blend in the pallet - a lot of the women here wear black and white; this is something in between”

Rey started to remove her clothes, piece by piece, making sure that all was locked in the cases, ready to be returned to the ship. She felt awkward when removing the breastband. She always wore it extra tight, out of habit. In Jakku, the more asexual you looked the better, and it also allowed her to fight more freely. But as the last piece of cloth disappeared, she couldn’t help to take notice of what good nourishment, sleep, and practice had done to her body.

After scrubbing all the grime, sweat and worries of the last days away, Rey was ready. Connix arranged her hair, braiding it and securing it in a large bun on her nape. She then placed an intricate tiara, that fanned out above the bun, with pendents  that looked like tears showering down her neck. Never missing a beat, Connix then moved to Rey’s face, brushing it, polishing it, painting it. Her eyes dark. Her lips ice.

And finally, the dress.Rey had never felt anything like that on her body. As the fabric rolled over her legs, her torso, her breast, she was unable to prevent remembering how Kylo’s hands had felt on her, just a few weeks back.

“There. You are ready. Look”

Rey turned to the mirror. It took an actual minute for her to realize she was staring at her own reflection. Her eyes traveled from her face to the revealing cleavage, and her stomach, where the vines cascading down her arms came to hug her torso from the sides. She admired how the fabric flowed like it moved on its own. She stepped to the mirror and raised her hand, touching it, like she did in the cave back on Ach-Too. It was her reflection, she alone. Rey smiled.

“I am.”

Sure enough, there was a knock at the door. It was Poe “We are up. Got a call from the dealer. It's happening.”

Rey opened the door, and Poe gasped, unable to utter a word when seeing her. Rey looked at him and couldn’t help admire him as well.  He was sporting the black and white combination, a black tuxedo jacket with white shirt and scarf and a white vest. His hair was slicked back, his face freshly shaven. Rey smiled at Poe’s response.

“You look...you look…” he was googling her up and down.

“Thank you. Can’t get used to this. Not practical to take on a mission”

Poe laughed. “Quite right. However, this makes me wonder if we should celebrate our small victories more often and more lavishly” he said, extending his hand. Rey noticed he was wearing black gloves and a shiver went through her back. Slightly touching the hidden pouch under the vine embroidery on her torso, she took his hand contemplating the resistance ring in her finger.

________________

“Ah, Mr.D! How are you sir?”

Rey looked at the dealer. He was tall, blond, and very much suntanned, like he spent a lot of time in the desert. The white of his clothes only brought out the tan that much more. He was carrying a drink and Rey noticed his nails painted black. She looked at his eyes: they were sky blue.

“Just fine Mr. Klay. Very nice to meet you” he replied, extending the handshake.

Klay’s eyes were already upon Rey, and he was radiating intent all over and in such an explicit way that no Force probe was needed.

“Ah, and who is this lovely creature?” he said, catching Rey’s hand and planting a kiss on its back. “My, my you bring such a lovely consort, I am jealous. Where did you acquire her?”

Poe jerked momentarily. Rey felt like an object rather than a person and resented, briefly. She squeezed Poe’s hand, and _force_ Klay to choke on the drink he was having. Poe looked at her and opened his eyes wide, so she would stop it, and immediately tried to provide some assistance.

“Oh! Oh my, I am sorry my dear! I think I forgot to swallow, just basking on your beauty”

Rey smiled and stepped closer to Klay, faking and adjustment to his neck scarf. She looked up, behind her long lashes into his blue eyes, feeling Darkness stirr away from its corner, expanding in her, through her and into him, quieting him down. “That’s all right. See, you feel all better now” she said, while her hand traveled from his neck down. Klay was indeed, basking. Poe coughed and Rey dropped the trance, stepping back beside Poe.

Klay laughed and, never leaving his eyes from Rey, swallowed the drink in one gulp. “Now, now, let's get down to business, right? Please, sit!” he pointed to the two chairs across from him, while he sat on the couch. The following hour was spent discussing the order, delivery arrangements, how the payments were to proceed. All this time, Rey kept her probe working on Klay’s mind, reading, analysing, with just enough intensity for her to be sure that he was not in collusion with the First Order to set them a trap. The drink helped: the man was an open book.

She saw fragments of his clients, cases of credits, she saw the desert, the mine pits, the workers carrying the metal to the smelters, the factories. She saw aggression and winced momentarily - it was worse than Jakku. First Order generals, weapons assembly. And then, Fathiers, gambling, women. Rey frowned, all the women started to look a lot like her.

Yes, the man dealt with pirates, rebels, merchants, First Order, you name it. The money was his real master, the gambling and women his weakness. Yet, no sign of collusion or entrapment. He was focused in getting the deal, cashing in, spend it on the Finals.

Rey looked at Poe and gave him the slightest of nods. He winked at her.

“So, we are settled then?” Klay extended his hand, waiting. Poe returned the shake.”Yes, I will be expecting your signal when the package is ready. Only then will I transfer the credits and the delivery instructions”. Klay laughed, obviously pleased with himself. He looked at Rey with a sly look. “I feel like celebrating, don’t you?” he said, standing up and reaching for Rey. Poe was going to say something, but felt Rey touching his arm. She stood up and stepped towards Klay.

“Why not? A bet, perhaps?” she said, biting her lower lip in an enticing way. She was tapping into her Dark corner, and it was making her stronger, bolder. And Rey liked how it felt, to be in control.

Klay laughed while his eyes rested on her cleavage. Rey took the opportunity to mind bend him into asking her to bless the Fathiers. Sure enough, his eyes came to meet hers and she focused.

“Mr. D, it would give me great pleasure if your consort could bless my Fathiers for the race. With her beauty, I am sure to win.”

Poe was puzzled at this request, but seeing no reaction against it from Rey he inclined his head, assenting.

“Wonderfull. I will arrange for one of my valets to escort you to the stables.”

Klay left the room momentarily. Poe turned to Rey, his voice tight and clipped.

“What are you doing? We should be packing and leaving, the sooner the better”

“Don’t worry, his weakness is gambling, this is customary. He might take offense if we refused. Take this opportunity to make way to the ship with the crew. I will join you as soon as I do this.”

“No way you are going alone!” Poe was close. Too close. His eyes wandered across her face, to rest on her lips. His own lips parted at the sight of her own, his hand reaching for her back. Rey was trying to focus on the task at hand, but that feeling of power and dominion that she was now reaching into was intoxicating. Her mouth trembled as she felt her barriers coming down, overflown by a warm, dark, liquid that settled between her legs. And then, she _felt him_.

Gasping, she took a step back just as Poe was reaching for the kiss. Wide-eyed, she turned unable to face him for a moment, calming herself and building her wall, shielding it from Kylo. But it was too late, he was already there, somewhere. The vibrating hum of his presence was unmistakable.

She turned again. Poe was still standing in place, waiting, watching. His eyes were squinted, like a hawk. And then, all of a sudden, he chuckled and rubbed his face with his hands. “I’m sorry Rey. I think I got a bit carried away there. It must be the drink”.

Rey was about to answer - warn him? - when Klay returned. “All settled. My security will escort your lovely consort to the stables and return her to you, safe and sound.”

Poe was about to include himself in the expedition, when Rey turned to him, placing a hand on his chest and reaching to his ear, she whispered “You must get the ship ready as quick as possible. I will join you as fast as I can. _Trust me,_ please” she looked into his eyes, reinforcing the urgency of the command. Poe hesitated a moment and then gave her the tiniest of nods. “Bring her back to the entrance hall, we will be departing soon” he replied to Klay.

“That’s a shame, you will miss the Finals! You could make good credits. With your consort’s blessing, we are a sure win.”

“We have another appointment, we cannot be late.”

Klay did not press any further, and gave instructions to the guard outside to escort Rey to the stables. Patting her inner pocket, to make sure the holos were still there, she followed the guard giving a last glance to Poe just when she was about to turn the curve. How worried he looked!

_________

Off course, Hux always traveled in style, wherever he went. When they arrived, he went ahead declaring that he was going to prepare the room for the Supreme Leader, but Kylo knew he was just making time so he could hurry away the escorts from the suite. Sure enough, when he arrived and the two troopers opened the door, he immediately noticed the three glasses ready, the bowl of exotic fruits, the sweet scent in the air.

“Supreme Leader, I trust the accommodations are suitable?”

The cur was starting to sound more like a lapdog.

“Don’t you have business to attend to?”

Kylo noticed the surprise that crossed Hux’s face. “I assumed that you wanted to handle the negotiations, Supreme Leader. The merchant is schedule to meet us after the Finals.”

“I assumed you found these festivities to be shallow, General.”

Hux looked like a fish caught in a net. But he took a breath and soon resumed his typical look of contempt.”Indeed, Supreme Leader. But it can help with negotiations. We want to make sure we obtain a _just_ , reasonable price.”

Kylo turned his back and was heading for the fresher when he suddenly stopped, staggering a bit, and turning his head to the balcony.

“Supreme Leader? Is everything all right?”

Hux could feel Kylo’s rage erupting. He registered how the crystal chandelier above them started vibrating, the pendents ringing from being shaken. He looked at Kylo’s hands, curled into fists, how he was hunching over - a tell tale sign that he was about to lash out. Hux looked at the saber, his hand reaching slowly to his blaster...

But then, as soon as it came it was gone. He straightened, stood quiet for a couple of moments as if contemplating, and then proceeded to the fresher.

“Just see it done. Leave.”

“Off course, Supreme Leader.” Hux sounded relieved.

Kylo heard the door shut and reached for the clasp on his helmet, removing it and setting it aside on the small table. He took off his gloves and cape, hanging it neatly on the hook by the door. He filled the basin with water and splashed his face, one, two, three times. He placed his hands on the sides of the basin and looked at the mirror.

After that night, in her quarters, there was absolute silence for days on end. He felt rejected, cast off for the second time after telling her “please” once more. He had felt it, stronger than ever, the pull to the Light, to her. And he also felt her pull, for him, for his Darkness. It made her stronger, he knew; but she provided him a qualm, a levelness, as if he was attuned with the universe. She made him feel complete. He had mocked her for being addicted to the Dark...but the truth was that he too was eager for her presence.

So, when out of nowhere he felt her heartbeat, so strong, and her intent, just a flash of it, shouting _Canto Bight,_ he had to act. He tried to reach out, keep close, registering small fluctuations on her mood swings, trying to ascertain when she would move. And then she did. And he had to come.

But his mood changed just a few moments ago. Now, he wasn’t sure on her intent to be there, in that place so foreign to her own spirit. He felt a wave of lust invading his body and he knew that it came from her. Could that mean that she was with someone else? As soon as he thought it, he snarled and punched the wall beside the mirror, breaking the obsidian panel that layered the walls. He watched the droplets fall into the water and snorted.

“Steady now. Find her.” he said to himself, rinsing his face and adjusting his clothes. He had taken out his favourite uniform, with the black jacket with the high collar that buttoned on the side and the black silk embroidered cuffs. It was the only piece in which he felt some vanity while wearing; and that is why he rarely used it.

He had wanted her to see him in it; and now he was thinking if the blood stains of whoever was with her would render the coat irreparable.

He straightened, taking a last long look at the scar on his face. The Dark in him whispered its disgust and Kylo swallowed hard, pushing a lump down his throat. And then he was out the door, dismissing the stormtroopers and moving in the direction of the grand hall of the casino. He was so obsessed in finding her, he never noticed Hux observing from the opposite end of the hallway.

__________

They should be getting close to the stables, the smell of manure was getting stronger. Rey kept looking around, memorizing the route in order to return as quick as possible. To return to Poe and Connix. To leave that place.

Another curve, another hall. She could hear the stomping of the Fathiers, the cheers and the sound of the trumpets announcing the next race. A couple of women walked by them, dressed in vaporous black dresses,  ornate tiaras adorning their heads with gold veils that fell over their faces. Rey could feel the penetrating glances, as she walked by them. Other consorts, blessing their master’s Fathiers.

They came to the door of the stables and the guard talked briefly to the caretaker. He glanced at her and grinned, pointing to the end of the corridor. Rey walked passed them and approached the dim lit stall, hearing the snort of the Fathier as its massive head peaked out the window. The creature looked at her with gentle, inquisitive eyes and she risked a pat on its snout.

“Easy, easy boy.” she assured him, while checking the back of the stall through the bars. Sure enough, she saw movement, just like Finn and Rose said. She looked at the large button and glanced a look at the caretaker, watching her. She had to be inconspicuous, so she beckoned him closer, much to his delight. He licked his mouth and approached her.

“Yes milady?”

Rey approached him. He smelled fowl and for a moment she had to suppress a gag reflex. She looked up, into his eyes, and tapped into his mind.

“You will open the stall and let me in”

The caretaker blinked a couple of times.

“Excuse me?”

Rey focused. The smell was putting her off. She came closer and honed in.

“Open the stall.  Let me in”

This time it did the trick. She saw his shoulders slump and his pupils dilate. He walked towards the button and pressed it, opening the stall. The Fathier immediately took a step back and Rey walked in.

A little girl was sitting on a cot, her hands wrapped around her knees, clearly frightened. She couldn’t be more than eight, nine years old? Rey kneeled beside her , calming her down “Shhh, do not be afraid. I am not here to arm you” she said, in the most sweetest tone she could muster. She couldn’t help seeing the bruised arms and hands, the gash alredy healing on her forehead. The girl raised her head a bit and relaxed her grip on her knees.

“Your name?” Rey asked.

The girl was hesitant. Her eyes traveled down, taking all the beauty of her face, her dress, to her hands. She stopped when seeing the ring. Rey looked down and twisted it, revealing the Alliance symbol beneath it. The girls eyes lit and she looked up at Rey and smiled the most wonderful smile.

“Trix! Trix!” and then proceeded in a slur of language that Rey identified from spice merchants. She frowned, trying to remember the appropriate response.

“Hello Trix. I am Rey of Jakku.”

Trix’s eyes were ready to burst out of their sockets. “Jedi” she whispered. Rey was surprised at the girl’s response to her name; it appeared already the word on Crait was spreading.  She reached for the inner lining of the dress and carefully removed the holos. “Give this to each of your departing friends. Tell them to bring these to their elders, secretly.” She placed the holos in the child’s hand and made her close her fingers around them, pushing it to Trix’s chest.

“Tell them that hope is on the way.”

_______

The main hall of the casino was still crowded, despite the Finals being close. Kylo selected a particular position, in the corner of an elevated floor, half covered by the heavy drapery, close to the dice tables. No one spared a look to realize the Supreme Leader of the First Order was there - he was unmasked. From there he could watch, undisturbed.

He was looking at the people playing and shouting over the table. A woman, laughing. And in a second he saw Han Solo, throwing him his favorite relic, smiling, beckoning him to return the play. It was a moment, but Kylo felt a tug in his heart. Guilt? Regret?

Someone kicked one of the waiters, making the droid fall and laughing on that account. Kylo winced and bit his lip. If that was how the rich and mighty acted, trampling, kicking and grabbing, was that how Rey perceived him to be?

And then, he _felt_ her. He turned his head immediately, like a teenager, scouting the room like a beast stalking its prey. He stepped towards the small flight of stairs that led him to the lower, wider, level. And then, it was like the crowd stopped moving and he saw…

“Rey” he whispered.

She snapped her head up and looked straight at him. And he was hit with wave after wave of emotions, so sudden and quick that he was unable to register - fear, longing, lust, fear again, want, and something, something he couldn’t quite grasp. He fought the urge to cover the distance between them in three steps and take her right there and then.

She turned to a guard close to her and said something to him. He nodded and walked towards the end corridor, while she began walking in his general direction, never breaking eye contact. But before she could reach the foot of the stairs, she swirved to her left, away from the hall, into one of the side chambers. She looked at him, before opening the door and entering, leaving it open. Her intent was clear. He followed.

Behind the door there was a small hallway covered in red velvet drapes and then a flight of stairs. He closed the door behind him and waited. No sound. He placed his hand on the hilt of his saber and walked towards the stairs, tapping the Force, probing her mind. Nothing, only that humming.

At the foot of the stairs he looked up. At the top, waiting, was the most wonderful creature he had ever saw.Tall, powerful and beautiful, dressed in grey and silver, eyes like thunder. That woman could command armies if she saw fit. To conquer kingdoms and impose order with a swing of her finger. And to think that he had contributed to such creation.

Tentatively, he walked up the stairs, step by step, always looking at her until finally they were face to face. Kylo felt like out of breath. His eyes were hungry to properly roam her face, her neck, her breast...it was nearly impossible to resist bowing to such a vision. A hint of a smile crept on her lips.

“That’s not fair” he said “I can play that game too.” Kylo rained his emotions in check, blocking his feelings reaching her through their connection.

“I feel like I am at a disadvantage” she said, raising her harms only to make her charms even more pronounced. Kylo bit his lip and swallowed.

“And do you feel comfortable in being this close to me?” he said, stepping closer.

“No. Not comfortable at all” she answered, with heavy eyelids and a fluster creeping her cheeks.

“Did it felt comfortable with your commander?”

Rey straightened. First she looked puzzled and then her eyes opened wide, frightened for a mere second. Kylo felt her defences cracking, and Darkness oozing to tap into her core and lash out at him.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean what I felt from you mere hours ago. I felt it all. Your defences are not that powerful yet” his voice came out angrier than he intended.

Rey turned her back on him and he lowered his head, thinking that it was stronger than him, the jealousy, the rage he felt thinking that someone else caused her to feel like that. Someone other than him. He looked up, and came behind her a mere breath away.

“I know how it is. I told you. I feel it too.” he said in a much smoother voice, raising his hand to touch her bare back, from its lower curve to her neck, feeling her goosebumps as he did it. “I know how it is to feel that Dark velvet settle, how powerful it can be to use it and feel you can control anyone. That you can be anyone.”

She turned to face him, looking into his eyes. Her own were moist and she was fighting hard to suppress her emotions. “Be like who, Ben? Like the people that you see outside? Oh how mighty they are! Perverts, slavers, abusers all of them. For riches! Not for a cause. Not even for your precious First Order. For riches! Is that what you want your galaxy to be?”

He was back at putting up is unfathomable stare, lips set, a slight tremble to his left eye. Rey felt annoyed at the lack of reaction.

“Was it for this that you did it, then? Kill your father? Kill Snoke?”

He reached for her arms suddenly, trembling with fury. “My father was weak for not believing in me, for fearing me, for leaving me behind, for leaving me to _him_! Do not tell me that you haven't wished for retribution? The ones that left you behind all those years, to be abused and beaten?”

He cupped her face. His lips trembled as her hands reached for his arms, trying to ease his grip. “But Snoke...Snoke…he abused me in ways that you cannot begin to imagine. He tortured me, raped me, beat me until I was nothing more than a piece of meat on the floor. Malleable to the Force and his teachings. Through pain I felt redeemed: finally, I had met the expectations of my parents and my uncle.”

His breath was inches away from her mouth.

“...and I killed him because of a girl from Jakku. A scavenger. A nobody. Because I couldn’t stand there and watch him torture you. Because I couldn’t stand there and let him take your Light away”

Rey held her breath as he claimed her lips, with violence. And she welcomed it, lacing her hands in his hair, her heart full to the brim, pushing Darkness to its corner. His hands roamed freely on her back, as he kissed her neck and her collarbone, to that spot between her breasts. Rey trembled and pushed him down, making him drop on his knees and rest his head on her belly, holding her legs in a tight embrace. Rey planted a kiss on his crown.

“Rey...you are my destroyer and my salvation. Do not deny me of this Bond, if its all we have…”

She was flabbergasted. Kylo Ren, Supreme Leader of the First Order was on his knees, begging her to believe in him. To drop walls and pretenses. To have hope. And like that she remembered the mission, how Poe and Connix were waiting for her, how they would worry and come and find her. She felt him sigh and he raised, head low, his hair covering his face. He took a few steps back, composing himself.

“I know. You have to go. I won’t follow.”

Rey came up to him, her dress flowing around her, her arms sparkling silver and Kylo felt that tightness on his chest. She placed a soft, warm kiss on his lips. It held a promise.

“I will find you Ben.”

As she went for the stairs, before starting to descend, she turned around to take a last look at him. Her darkness embodied. He was standing, looking at her, hands to his sides.

“Nice jacket”

He moved his hands to his back. His eyes carried a sad smile.

“Nice dress”

And just like that, she disappeared into the hallway and away from his path, once more. Outside, he could hear the cheers of the patrons, chanting the winner of the Finals with shouting and trumpets. But no sound could be loud enough to deafen the beating of his heart. She had not denied him, there was still a way for his vision to come true.

He stood there, for a few moments, touching his lips, feeling her scent in the air. And, suddenly, he felt very conscious of him, of how he might look to someone outside and he straightened. He went down the stairs across the hallway and out the door.

He never noticed the red-haired figure, hidden behind the velvet drapes.

(to be continued)

 


End file.
